Voice Procedure
Set of standardized communication protocol
Call Signs, Definition of
A Call Sign, is a word of series of words designated to a unit, vehicle or base for easy recognition.
Any comination of characters or pronounceable words, which identifies a communication facility, a command, an authority, an activity, or a unit; used primarily for establishing and maintaining communications.
In the Military specifically, Call Signs are extremely useful to identify who is speaking and who you are speaking to when identifying someone through voice along is tough or impossible.
Through the use of short and long wave radio systems, voices are often distorted to a point where someone you may have known your whole life sounds like a complete stranger and is therefore unidentifiable.
Call Signs are by far the most widely used technique for quickly and accurately identifying different parties.
Pro-Words
| Proword | Meaning / Example |
|---|---|
| OUT | The conversation is closed; do not reply. |
| OVER | The sender is expecting a reply. |
| BREAK | Breaking up a long message. |
| BREAK, BREAK, BREAK | Immediate silence on the net. Example: "BREAK, BREAK, BREAK... THIS IS 1-2, ENEMY MBT APPROACHING FROM THE SOUTH!" |
| CONTACT, WAIT OUT | Signifies active engagement. |
| FIGURES | Used for numbers over nine. Example: "MOVING IN FIGURES ONE, FIVE." |
| GRID | Prefix for a grid reference. |
| I SPELL | Used with the phonetic alphabet to clarify place names. E.g., "I SPELL BRAVO ROMEO NOVEMBER OSCAR" = BRNO. |
| LOCSTAT | Location Status — current position. |
| MASS CAS | Mass casualties. Unit is no longer combat-effective and needs immediate support. |
| MESSAGE | Prepares receiver for a long or complex message. |
| RADIO CHECK | Confirms comms status. Replies include: "OK", "DIFFICULT", "UNWORKABLE", "NOTHING HEARD". |
| RELAY | Ask a call sign to retransmit a message to another. Used when out of direct comms. |
| ROGER | Message understood. |
| ROGER SO FAR | Confirms partial understanding of a message. |
| SUNRAY | Unit commander. |
| SAY AGAIN | Repeat the message. Never use "REPEAT" — that’s a fire command. |
| SAY AGAIN, ALL AFTER | Request repetition from a specific point onward. |
| SIGHTING | Enemy observed; they haven’t seen you. Report follows. |
| SITREP | Situation Report. Format: What, Where, When, Why? E.g., "THIS CALL SIGN IN DEFENCE AT GRID 123456." |
| TIC | Troops in Contact. |
| WAIT | Temporarily unable to respond. Often followed by a time, e.g., "WAIT TWO MINUTES, OUT." |
| WILCO | Will comply — confirms you’ll carry out the instruction. |
| WRONG | Indicates a correction. E.g., "GRID 123459 — WRONG... MOVE TO GRID 123456." |
| HQ | The primary command call sign. |
| MAM | Military aged male. |
Example Radio Exchange
1 Section COMD: “HELLO HQ, THIS IS 1-2, CONTACT, WAIT OUT”
HQ: "HQ TO 1-1, SEND MESSAGE, OVER.”
2 Section: “2 SECTION TO HQ, RADIO CHECK, OVER.”
Call for Fire Pro-Words
- “Read back”: To confirm the Fire Mission.
- “On Target”: Adjusting shells have hit target
- “Repeat”: Fire same target package
- “Check firing”: Stop firing
- “Cancel Check firing”: Start firing after cancel
- “Shot”: Last round of a salvo
- “Splash”: Expected time of last round (secs)
- “Record as target”: Store target for reference
- “BDA”: Battle Damage Assessment
- “End mission”: Fire mission successful
NATO Phonetic Alphabet
| Letter | Word | Letter | Word |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Alpha | N | November |
| B | Bravo | O | Oscar |
| C | Charlie | P | Papa |
| D | Delta | Q | Quebec |
| E | Echo | R | Romeo |
| F | Foxtrot | S | Sierra |
| G | Golf | T | Tango |
| H | Hotel | U | Uniform |
| I | India | V | Victor |
| J | Juliett | W | Whiskey |
| K | Kilo | X | X-ray |
| L | Lima | Y | Yankee |
| M | Mike | Z | Zulu |